November 2021
This is Our Time
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Article written by Ann Dosen
Exhibitors, it’s time we take back the responsibility for our success at trade shows.
During our recent Experienced Exhibitor Mastermind sessions (both Rounds 1 & 2), you’ve shared invaluable feedback on the conferences you exhibit at and together we’ve come up with a TON of great ideas to both improve the functionality of exhibit halls and each individual exhibitor’s booth success.
I’ve had a recurring thought throughout this process that in addition to conferences making improvements, we as exhibitors need to be accountable for our performance at shows. Meaning, when we are evaluating the success of a conference, we must be absolutely certain we put our best foot forward and did everything in our power to attract attendees to our booth.
We will continue to publish all of these new ideas in upcoming newsletters and Experienced Exhibitor publications so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
In the meantime, PodiatryMeetings.com would like to host a campaign in 2022 to drive traffic to the exhibit hall and increase our collective success.
Recently a fellow exhibitor, friend, and colleague emailed us with a story and an idea that really got me excited. He was looking for a way to encourage doctors to spend time in the exhibit hall, with companies they already use and ones they are unfamiliar with. We get this question a lot, obviously. The exhibit hall is one of the only places doctors can see first-hand the latest and greatest, as well as learn more about a company’s full line of products and services.
We had a back and forth conversation and he mentioned the idea of a slogan backed by a campaign to generate a buzz and hopefully bring attendees to booths. I love it.
So, here’s what we want to do… Sarah and I want to capitalize on peer pressure. No, not really. But actually, yes. It works for elections, right? With the “I Voted” stickers everywhere!
We are going to start a campaign that will include all exhibitors at as many podiatry shows as we can. We will have stickers or buttons printed and we will provide them as requested for exhibitors to hand out at booths. Imagine attendees walking around an event wearing a sticker that calls attention to the exhibit hall. It’s a small, walking reminder for all other attendees, friends, and colleagues to check out some of the booths and see what’s new. Peer pressure.
Here’s where we need your help… the first step is selecting a slogan for the campaign. Some ideas we’ve come up with so far are:
“The exhibit hall has what you’re looking for.”
“I heart exhibitors.”
“Have you been to the exhibit hall lately?”
“Free beer in the exhibit hall. Just kidding.”
“I support exhibitors.”
“I visited the exhibit hall.”
Will you send us a quick reply email with your ideas?
Together, we can make a difference. Cheesy and cliché, I know, but it’s true. Let’s work together so we can all benefit from the improvements.
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Sales & Marketing Buzz
The Magic Marketing Formula
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Article written by Ann Dosen
You would not believe the number of times I have had this conversation over the last two weeks. Perhaps it’s because I’m in the middle of pitching our revamped super fancy Corporate Sponsorship program (more details on that below).
I suppose this is where I tell you there is not a magic formula for success. Sorry. My son would call this headline “clickbait”.
The truth is that marketing is more of an art than a science. You must be willing to try everything and evaluate as you go.
The difficult part is that it’s nearly impossible to determine an ad campaign or marketing outlet’s success. Sure, you can review click reports, open rates, webpage analytics and traffic sources, and everything else out there but that only gives you one small piece of the puzzle. We know that a potential customer must see a message at least 7 times before they will take action. For this reason, you need a well-rounded, multi-faceted approach to marketing. You need a healthy combination of print, digital and in-person impressions.
Too often we attribute the success of an ad or a marketing outlet to a customer or new lead calling and mentioning that specific ad. We must remember that while that ad may have been the one that triggered the action, it wasn’t the first time they’ve seen your ad or message. They’ve seen it repeatedly across a few different platforms and now – finally – they are doing something.
Here’s the nuts and bolts… In podiatry, you should be advertising your product EVERYWHERE - in print magazines, on popular industry websites, in email publications, at industry conferences, and anywhere else you can.
Ideally you will have a similar ad (in design elements, copy, call-to-action, and landing page link) run across all these mediums for a specific term. Then, when you are approaching the end of the term, whether it’s a few weeks or a few months, you evaluate the ad campaign’s success and make tweaks as necessary. Then, rinse and repeat.
Reminder – we just opened up our very limited Corporate Sponsorship program to new sponsors. More info is below. This opportunity only comes around once a year.
Don’t forget – your trade show booth should be considered part of your marketing plan! It’s an ad that people get to see and experience in person.
Pro tip - make sure you generate specific links for each online outlet.
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Meeting Spotlight
FPMA SAM2022
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FPMA SAM2022 will be 100% in person January 26-30 in Orlando, Florida.
They have rolled out several new branding opportunities as well as other ways your company can support the FPMA.
One of our favorites are the floor decal stickers (only $260 for 20!). Wouldn't it be fun to buy 100 of them for a little over $1,000? Imagine the impact of seeing your logo every step you take!
Another opportunity we want to highlight is the first-ever SAM Women in Podiatry luncheon sponsorship. The luncheon is scheduled for January 27th from 12-1:30pm. There will be pre-registration required.
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Logistics & Statistics Buzz
Trim the Fat
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Article written by Ann Dosen
We’re entering a new era for trade shows, aren’t we? When all conferences were cancelled not too long ago, we panicked. Our sales plummeted. Then, as the industry and the world adjusted, our sales came back up, slowly but surely. Now, most companies I talk to are either meeting pre-2020 numbers or exceeding them. Even with only a fraction of the trade shows we normally participate in.
So, what are we learning? Our participation in 50+ podiatric trade shows in a year is not only unnecessary – it’s irresponsible!
Now, I know what you are thinking, “Why are Ann & Sarah, the queens of Podiatry Meetings, telling us not to go to podiatry meetings???” OK, slow down, that’s not what I’m saying. Exhibiting at industry conferences is essential, however, gone are the days of exhibiting at every conference – good and bad.
We know now that we can be more selective about which trade shows to invest in, depending on what our goals are. Here’s the key, you must evaluate each show equally and without a bias. To do this, you must have a system in place to calculate the cost and potential return for each opportunity. I like to use a tracker in excel for this, but then again, I’m a data nerd.
Be sure to factor in all the hidden costs associated with exhibiting – payroll, hotel, shipping, baggage fees, Uber rides, food and beverage or per diem rates, among others. Then, compare that to what you gained from the show – number of quality leads, number of visitors to your booth, number of attendees at the show, and orders taken at the show.
But wait – there’s more! Going back to Sales 101, we know a sales cycle is generally 90-120 days and consists of several touches or impressions. Knowing this, we must continue to factor in leads and sales following the conference.
Finally, when making a decision to exhibit or not exhibit at a particular show, consider at least 3 years of data. You may notice a cycle start to appear. For example, there’s a podiatry conference that happens in wintertime in the middle of the US that has better success every other year, most likely due to licensing renewal requirements.
So, before you go and completely slash your exhibiting schedule, take the time to put systems and processes in place to effectively evaluate each conference’s success. Then, when you decide not to exhibit at a conference, consider taking a moment to let the conference organizer know why and offer a suggestion for improvement.
Prefer to offer your feedback anonymously?
Rate podiatry conferences and submit a survey on PodiatryMeetings.com. Click here.
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Join us as a Corporate Sponsor in our
MARKETPLACE OF VENDORS
Each year we open up our Corporate Sponsorship program to renewals and new partners. We limit our number of Sponsors to only 12 to avoid market saturation and ensure your company's visibility is a top-priority.
We improve our program every year and many times add new features throughout the term.
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- Webinar Opportunities - deliver a webinar up to 4 times during your term to our audience of over 7,000 ENGAGED DPMs.
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- Newsletter Ads - display an ad in up to 4 of our monthly e-newsletters as well as our popular ICYMI emails.
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- Email Marketing - take advantage of a fully custom Featured Sponsor email as well as our pre-show campaigns.
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- Website Ads - in addition to a leaderboard ad on our home page
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Plus, we are continuing to offer features such as a virtual booth landing page in our Vendor Marketplace, social media promotion, shopping spree inclusion, among others. |
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Our Corporate Sponsorship Program is more than just ads. We care about you, your budget, and your results. If you're not happy, we're not happy. Our goal is that all of our sponsors tell their colleagues how great we are and how pleased you are with the program! In other words, we only succeed if you do!
We would love to chat with you about your goals and any ideas you have for 2022.
We invite you to schedule a call with us.
We only have 6 spots remaining! Join the club!
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A Little Fun With Ann and Sarah |
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Hi there! We're Ann & Sarah and we like to work hard, make a difference, and have an unhealthy amount of fun!
Whenever we travel, Ann always brings her trusty Bluetooth speaker so we can jam out everywhere we go.
We created a playlist of all of our favorite songs so all of you - our friends - can have a dance party right along with us!
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Voice of the Vendor | August
Ann published a recap of the APMA National in Denver along with her thoughts on WHY our exhibitor colleagues were frustrated.
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Vendor Tip | August
You Get What You Get, and You Don't Throw a Fit. Read Sarah's article about the definition of insanity. Just kidding - it's about being more accountable.
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Vendor Tip | September
Patience is a virtue. Read Sarah's article about sales cycles.
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Vendor Tip | October
Try adding in some fun! Read Ann's article with a few ideas on how to encourage casual, no-pressure interactions at your booth.
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Have you heard about vTail?
This is not an advertisement!
We recently learned about this company and its goal to connect physicians with suppliers more efficiently.
Their objective is to facilitate more communication, greater satisfaction, higher sales momentum, closer relationships, and less travel as it relates to field sales connecting to podiatric physicians. Check them out online at vtail.co
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